A federal judge in Seattle Thursday refused a request for protection made by Japanese whalers. The whalers were hoping to put a stop to almost daily harassment by an aggressive anti-whaling group based in western Washington.

U.S. federal district court judge Richard Jones did not give a reason for denying the request for a preliminary injunction. It would have prevented the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society from interfering with the Japanese whaling fleet.

Whale hunting

9:50 am

Thu February 16, 2012

The Japanese whaling vessel Yushin Maru No. 2 shoots its water cannons at the Sea Shepherd crew on a inflatable boat on Feb. 12 during an encounter by the whalers and anti-whaling activists in the Antarctic Sea.